Diaphragm assembly



Get. 15, 1929. B. P. JOYCE mszpsz DIAPHRAGM ASSEMBLY Original Filed Nov. 1925 Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES BRYAN P. JOYCE, OF "DAVENPORT, IOWA DIAPHRAGM ASSEMBLY Original application filed November 1925,'Seria1 No. 67,140. Divided and this application filed April 14, 1927. Serial No. 183,749.

This application is a division of my U. S. application Serial No. 67,140, allowed March 22, 1927, Patent No. 1,640,606 dated August The present invention relates to improvements in diaphragm assemblies which, while designed primarily for use in connection with liquid level gauges, are .not restricted to such use.

It is the object of the invention to provide a new and im roved relation of casing-forming disks and iaphragm, in which the peripheral edge of one disk is clinched around the peripheral edge portions of the diaphragm and the other disk, so that the three disks may be fluid-tightly connected in a single operation.

resides in the novel s1 ject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

- Fig. 1 is a sectional View through a diaphragm assembly constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

In the' drawings above briefly described, the numeral 3 designates a relatively small disk which is of substantially rigid nature al- 80 though the metal or other material from which it may be formed, will of course yield to some extent. At one side of this disk 3,, is a diaphragm 4 of no greater diameter than said disk, said diaphragm being preferably formed from thin sheet metal. Atthe side of the diaphragm 4, remote from the disk 3, is a relatively large disk 5, of the same char acteristics as the disk 3 with regard to material, sheet metal being preferably used for both of said disks 3 and 5. The disk 5 is of considerably greater diameter than the disk 3, and its peripheral edge portion 6 is clinched around the corresponding portions of said disk 3 and diaphragm 4. thereby fiuid-tightly uniting the three disks and providing a permanently assembled construction. If desired, the three disks may be laterally stamped in the same direction on continuous lines as in- 'dicated at providing interengaged ribs and grooves to even more advantageously anchor the diaphragm between the disks 3 and 5.

The diaphragm assembly, so far described, may be used wherever applicable, and in most adaptations, it will be required that the movement of the diaphragm 4 be limited in both directions. To attain this end, the body portions of the disks 3 and 5 may be spaced apart i, the desired distance to permit the necessary movement of the diaphragm, but to solidly engage the latter in eitherof its extreme positions. By preference, the disk 3 is flat and the disk 4 bowed away from said-disk 3, to obtain the necessary space within which the diaphragm operates. For sake of clearness in 65 the illustration the amount of bow of the disc i has been exaggerated. Actually, the space be- With the foregoingbin view, the inventlon tween the discs 3 and 5 is but a few hundredths of an inch, permitting the diaphragm 4 to be stretched or flexed into engagement with said discs over substantially its entire area, the liquids upon both sides of thediaphragm serving as cushions, preventing unnecessary wear of the diaphragm.

For purposes of illustration, a gauge (glass 8 is suitably connected at 9 with the upper disk 5 and said glass will contain an indicating liquid. For a similar purpose, a tube 10 is shown connected by an appropriate coupling or the like 11 with the disk 3, and in most instances, the tube, the coupling and the por tion of the casing below the diaphragm 4,

will contain liquid which is moved by means forming no part of the present invention, to in turn move the diaphragm 4, thus raising or lowering the column of liquid in the gauge glass 8, as the case may be.

I claim:

1. A diaphragm assembly comprising a pair of disks secured together in fluid tight relation and having a thin resilient diaphragm clamped between their edges, said diaphragm being subject to liquid pressure upon both sides and having a shape such that it may be flexed into engagement with substantially the entire surface of the opposed faces of the disks to permit said liquid to cushion the diaphra-gm in its movement toward either disk.

2. In a diaphragm assembly, a relatively 100 small disk, a diaphragm at one side of said disk and of no greater diameter than the latter, a relatively large disk at the side of said diaphragm opposite said small disk, the peripheral edge of said large disk being ,turned laterally across the peripheral edges of said diaphragm and said small disk and clinched inwardly. against said small disk thereby holding the peripheral portions of said disks and diaphragm in tight contact with each other, said small and large disks being spaced apart except at said peripheral portions to permit movement of the diaphragm and each having an opening serving as a fluid inlet and outlet, said peripheral portions of the disks and diaphragm being stamped longitudinally in the same direction on continuous lines to provide interengaging ribs and grooves insuring tight connection of said disks and said diaphragm with each other.

3. A diaphragm assembly comprising a relatively small disk, a diaphragm at one side of said disk and of no greater diameter than the latter, and a larger disk at the side of the diaphragm remote from the relatively small disk, the edge portion of the larger disk beingclinched around the edge portions of the other disk and the diaphragm to tightly secure the disks and diaphragm together, the body portions of said relatively small disk and said larger disk being spaced apart slightly to permit a small amount of movement of the diaphragm, the diaphragm dividing the space between the disks into two liquid chambers, each having an inlet for liquid, and a liquid conductor connected to each inlet in liquid tightrelation, said diaphragm being subject to liquid pressure upon both sides and having a shape such that it may be flexed into engagement with substantially the entire surface of the opposed faces of the disks to permit said liquid to cushion the diaphragm in its movement toward either disk.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

BRYAN P. J OYCE. 

